New Jersey Devils at Edmonton Oilers

Edmonton can sweep the two-game season series between these teams for the third time in four years after earning a 4-3 shootout win in New Jersey on Oct. 10. The Oilers had won four straight against the Devils before New Jersey took both 2018-19 meetings, including a 6-3 victory in March that snapped a three-game losing streak in Edmonton.

The Oilers rank 30th in the NHL in goals per game (1.90) since Oct. 18 and they're 3-for-26 on the power play during that dry spell. Edmonton converted a league-best 10-for-22 (45.5 percent) power-play chances while winning six of its first seven games of the season.

After opening this current road trip with wins at Carolina and Winnipeg, the Devils went 0-for-3 on the power play and allowed two goals while short-handed in Thursday's 5-2 loss to Calgary. New Jersey is one of three teams, along with Detroit and Los Angeles, to rank in the bottom six of the NHL in both power-play and penalty-killing percentage.

Five of the last 10 No. 1 overall picks in the NHL draft will take part in this game, with the Devils having three (Taylor Hall, Nico Hischier, Jack Hughes) of them. Hall, picked No. 1 by the Oilers in 2010, is currently on a seven-game point streak and has a goal and an assist in two visits to Edmonton since being traded to the Devils in 2016.

Leon Draisaitl assisted on both Edmonton goals in Wednesday's 5-2 loss to St. Louis and now has at least one point in all eight of the team's home games in 2019-20, matching teammate Connor McDavid (2017-18) for the longest streak at home to begin a season by an Oilers player in the last 30 years.

McDavid has one goal and 13 assists while recording at least one point in each of his eight career games against New Jersey. The last player to begin his career with a nine-game point streak against the Devils was Detroit's Nicklas Lidstrom from 1991-95.

For a team sitting atop the Pacific Division, the Edmonton Oilers are certainly being doubted these days. As the Oilers play host to the New Jersey Devils on Friday, though, it's understandable why the detractors are becoming easier to hear.

Edmonton has lost the first two clashes on its three-game homestand -- first a 3-2 overtime defeat at the hands of the Arizona Coyotes on Monday, then then a 5-2 loss to the defending Stanley Cup champs, the St. Louis Blues, on Wednesday -- and has just one regulation win in its last nine games.

To top it off, a team that's known for being an offensive force has scored two or fewer goals in seven of its last nine outings, and won only three of those games.

The lack of offense is a major concern. Leon Draisaitl (29 points), Connor McDavid (26 points) and James Neal (11 goals) are all providing more than their share, but the supporting cast has left plenty to be desired. Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, who has just one goal this season, is among those who have struggled to light the lamp.

"I think everybody in here is giving an honest effort, and we're going to have to start scoring," Nugent-Hopkins recently told NHL.com. "We've struggled with that a little bit this year, but it's a problem when you're not getting the chances. I think our line has been getting the chances, so I think we just have to start bearing down and maybe get a greasy goal in front."

Even just creating energy would make a difference, noted coach Dave Tippett.

"Sometimes you might not even score, but you have to be dangerous," Tippett said. "The other team's got to know that you're in the game, and that's where that second line needs to have a bigger impact on the game."

The Devils were soundly beaten 5-2 by the Calgary Flames on Thursday, a game decided in the second period when they were outshot by a 17-4 count and surrendered four goals.

"We've got to see a good response," said coach John Hynes, who didn't mask his displeasure after the Calgary game. "We have to see the areas that weren't good (Thursday) and we have less than 24 hours to get right back at it."

The quick turnaround will help put such a stinker of a performance in the past.

"It wasn't a good effort by us," Taylor Hall told reporters. "It seems we were disconnected all over the ice. We really fed into their attack. For whatever reason, we didn't have individuals going, and when that's the case, usually your system backs you up.

"Tonight we didn't play our game plan. Probably the last seven games or so, we've been playing very well but tonight wasn't a step in the right direction, so we have to right the ship a little bit. We have another chance to get it back (Friday) but it's really not a game we can take anything from."

New Jersey's most positive news in Calgary was that 2019 first-overall draft pick Jack Hughes collected one goal and one assist. Hughes has collected four goals and five assists over the last eight games.

"He's figuring it out," captain Andy Greene said of the young standout. "He gets more comfortable and confident every game."